Protecting Your Rights

Since 1982, we have helped more than 25,000 Utah Seniors protect their rights, preserve their property, collect their money, and bring peace to their lives. We know how to HELP YOU! Please call us today.

What is an Elder Law Attorney?

“Elder Law” is a rare legal specialty for lawyers. These specialists focus their training and practice on legal issues important to American senior citizens.

The first national organization for elder law attorneys, The National Association of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) began in 1987. Today, it has more than 4,500 attorney members, but only a handful are Utah attorneys.

Our Layton and Ogden elder law attorneys focus on these issues:

Probate. Death brings its own pack of legal issues, and sooner or later Utah's elderly will lose those close to them. The Utah probate process is often confusing, even to lawyers who don't practice much in probate court. Our elder lawyers will help you sort out these probate issues:

Is a probate necessary, or can it be avoided?

What is the quickest and least expensive way through Utah probate?

How can family fights be resolved or minimized?

How should the property of a dying person be passed to the next generation with the least trouble?

Will, Trust and Probate disputes. If family disagreements cannot be resolved and avoided, seniors need help from a courtroom trained lawyer. Unfortunately, many Utah attorneys are not comfortable in a courtroom. This is especially true of almost all elder law attorneys, who come from estate planning backgrounds and dislike court. At Helgesen, Houtz & Jones, our elder law attorneys come from a litigation (lawsuits and courtrooms) background and are very comfortable unravelling legal entanglements. This sets our Elder Law Attorneys apart from the rest.

Disability Planning. Our Utah Elder Law attorneys will help you understand and plan for Medicaid, social security disability, Medicare, and SSI. We want to help.

Utah Estate Planning. Elder Law Attorneys are trained to write unique wills, trusts, powers of attorney and estate plans which focus on the special needs of the 98% of Americans who are not extraordinarily wealthy. These Utahns may need to qualify for public benefits such as Medicaid or Social Security disability, and need to plan for the risks of disability and “spend downs” to qualify for Medicaid.

Utah Powers of Attorney, Utah Guardianships, Utah Conservatorships, The high risk of disability among seniors is a special focus of Elder Law Attorneys. Guardianships and conservatorships (making personal decisions and financial decisions, respectively) are sensitive and important issues to the elderly. Our Elder Law Attorneys know how to plan for a these problems.

Elder / Senior Injuries. Jack Helgesen has more than thirty years experience as personal injury lawyer. He was the President of the Utah Trial Lawyers Association (now called the Utah Association of Justice), the largest personal injury attorney association in Utah. For fifteen years, he served as a governor of the Association of American Trial Lawyers (no called the American Association of Justice) the nation's largest injury lawyer and injury victims group. When he became an Elder Law Attorney, he continued his special interest in helping Utah's seniors claim compensation for injuries caused by the careless acts of others. Many injury lawyers avoid these cases because they are more difficult and because Medicare is heavily involved in getting its money back in senior injury settlements. Mr. Helgesen understands these cases and enjoys representing seniors and their issues. He is also the only injury attorney in Utah who is a nationally Certified Medicare Secondary Payer Professional (CMSP). This is an important advantage to our senior clients.

Elder Abuse and financial exploitation of the elderly. Our Attorneys fight financial abuse of the elderly. This is a complicated and difficult practice, but an important service.

Jack C. Helgesen is a member of the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). He, Michael Houtz and Erik Helgesen are Utah Elder Law Attorneys who bring you many advantages. Call us for a FREE CONSULTATION.

Layton/Clearfield Office

When we say our lawyers specialize…

Like doctors, Utah lawyers can choose practice areas they like. Unlike doctors, Utah lawyers don’t receive board certifications in legal specialties. Lawyers specialize by focusing their practice by training and type of case. Most of our competitor attorneys in northern Utah work alone or in very small groups, and cannot easily specialize. The largest Utah law firms have specialized departments with large legal bills. We think the size of our firm – eleven lawyers – offers you the best choice for a good dollar value